We went on a mission to find, experiment with, and examine Linux programs to help manage our Wi-Fi connections. We found many different networking utilities.
Most are based around profile-based configuration, where connection details such as encryption keys are saved for reccurring connections. Some even support per-network IP and DNS settings. This is great, for example, if your work network requires a static IP address, while at home your router using its DHCP server; IP address information is saved for each network's profile. In addition to a simple signal indicator for wireless networks, some utilities offer details such as signal and noise level graphs and the displaying of the channels used by the wireless networks.
On our search, here are some of the network connectivity utilities we came across: NetworkManager, Wicd, KWiFiManger, WaveSelect, AP Radar, NetChoose, gWireless. We're going to review Network Manager, Wicd, and KWifiManager.
